7 Days to quitting - and unsure if I can do it

I'm unsure if I will be able to really quit and I'm also unsure I'm typing my msg in the right place?

Not at all computer literate when in comes to social media so maybe no one will see this?

I need to be in touch with anyone willing to support me in my new challenge of quitting next week.

I started my cigarette tracking this morning and also began My Quit Plan - don't even know if I did that right!

Well, in case anyone reads this:

I'm Brenda or Bree

Pretoria South Africa

Smoker for 4 decades

Gave up once in 2014 and lasted smoke free for 5 weeks but then my mom died

At that time I was with a support group called Stay Quit from the UK, but cannot find them online now so am really holding high hopes for support from people on this site.

Quit date 20 Feb

I'm finding this site a bit confusing but that might just be my general idiocy. Even Facebook is beyond me - but I keep trying. I can like, share and comment on other people's messages. I've yet to understand walls, timelines, uploading, downloading or attaching pics. (See? pics! I know something else!) Instagram and twitting...haven't even tried!

Please someone, find me and help me quit - and tell me if this msg should have been written somewhere else.

Hello, Bree, I am glad you came to EX! Congratulations on getting your quit date set! This was a good place to post or you could have also posted it in a blog. I think many of us check both places. Here are some links with useful information. I hope you find them helpful! ~Terrie~

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We're in this together! Keep reading and keep your commitment to your Quit Date and you will be just fine! You'll actually be amazed at ho well this quit is going to go! I often ask myself only one question : Why didn't I quit sooner? LOL! Smoke FREE is incredible!

Fear is normal - apprehension is normal, second guessing is normal. Step over all of these thoughts and feelings and just commit - one day at a time! You'll be better off for it!

Just keep posting as you are now. No need to make it any difficult that it has to be. Everyone feels apprehensive at first, you go into a whirlwind, How can I handle this without smoking, how can I do this without smoking. I too smoked for over 4 decades. I didn't think I would ever quit. I tried and failed and tried again. But you see, I was trying. I wasn't committed to making it stick, to making it my last time. If you're here for support, then keep it simple and just keep writing as you did above. express your feelings and ask for help. Doesn't matter where you stick it, what category it goes in, somebody is going to see it, it's all good. Click on my name or my picture and so some reading. Click on some featured content, some blogs, some discussions. This is doable. we are here 24 hours a day. Somebody somewhere is up at this time or any time

Welcome Bree, we're all here for you read everything you can about quitting smoking and Remaining Quit because there's a wealth of information here to strengthen your resolve, you can and will be successful, be willing, determined and totally committed and know that you will succeed!

Most of us felt as you do before our quits (well - there are a COUPLE who didn't - but we choose to ignore them!!). If you read, read, and read some more, plan, prepare and commit to never having another cigarette NO MATTER WHAT, you will be successful.

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. Here is a link to a free PDF version of it:

As well, read the sections on this site, and read the blogs, responses and pages of folks you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com for the good information contained there. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested on this site

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort. I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different.

You need to distract yourself through any craves. You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time. You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around your head alone. Get busy! Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?" Then DO it. You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Dear Bree, you are in the right place, and blogged in the right spot! You are being seen and heard, and this community is going to help you along the way like it did with so many of us! Have faith you can do it, a better, more positive attitude you have about your quit, the easier it gets.

Welcome Bree. What everyone has said before me is enough to handle to get you through that first day. Start practicing the "thought of quitting now so you are more prepared for your first day. You are going to do fine. You sound very serious about wanting to quit, which is a very good sign you will succeed. Hang with us all here, we are a great bunch. We'll be here. You be here!

Welcome Bree! Glad to have you walk with us on this quit journey! Allen Carr's book “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" help me change my way of thinking about quit smoking. Do give that a read. Stay with us. You can do it!

Welcome to gang, Bree! You found us, and, by golly, I have discovered that we don't let go of friends easily. Whenever I have taken a hiatus from the group, I am always welcomed back to very loving arms.You have everything you need to succeed in quitting.

I found that what I needed most was courage to turn my back on what I KNEW kept me sane. After 58 years smoking and many many failed attempts (some quite disastrous) I didn't think I could do it. There are frequent bouts of really REALLY wanting a cigarette, but I have, admittedly, white knuckled my way threw those times. Most everyone here will tell you---as they have me---white knuckling it is not the way to go, but for me, it works.

My motivation on this quit was the need to remove all toxins from my body (I had breast cancer and I was not going to accept any of the poisons the docs wanted to push) . I was eating only clean organic foods when dearly beloved said to me, "That's fine and I will support you, but it doesn't make sense to me that you still are putting toxins in your body." I said, "Oh s**t." and that started the journey.

So today, I'm over 2 years cancer free and over 18 months cigarette free. Trust me. If I can do it, you can too! Just keep coming back.

Hi, AbasKid Sara, It is so good to see you! I am so glad you are 2 years cancer-free! That's great! I see you have also kept your quit! You are amazing! White knuckle or NO we do whatever it takes to stay free. I lost my freedom at 519 days, 69 days ago and now have 68 days free! Not so proud of myself, about that one, but I suppose I'll get over it one day! Take care of yourself! ~Terrie~

Well hello Bree and Welcome ! Looks like many of the Ex'ers found you so I will keep it short and sweet .This is a new platform for this site so many of us are just getting used to it too ! You are in a perfect place to get the support you will need .

As you can see Bree-----not only did you do fine on social media but you certainly posted in the right place! Here we all are....the EX community and we are glad you decided to join us.......it is one of the best decisions you will ever make.

Don't you worry about whether you can do this or not.......YOU CAN! We all did and we are no different from you.

Just keep posting as you did today or drop into the daily EX Cafe page and chat over coffee.

I've only been free for 6 days today, but I'm a completely different person already!

I was the kind of smoker that said "I'd never quit smoking, cause I'm not a quitter!" What a stupid thing to say!

After reading Alan Carr's book and after reading through this course: http://www.quitsmokingonline.com/course/mental-conditioning/how-to-quit-smoking-naturally/ my whole attitude changed. It really, really, really helps to have a positive outlook on freeing yourself from cigarette addiction. I just posted somewhere else, that if I would have known how positive freeing yourself can be, I would have done it a lot sooner! I was always scared that it would be hard and that I would give something up that was really important, but in reality: it's not hard when you realize that you're only freeing yourself and not "giving something up".

I believe that you can do it, because we all could! You can do ANYTHING!

In all honesty, I never met someone that actually liked and defended smoking as much as I did (well, maybe my mom, but she quit over a year ago due to health reasons) and now the last thing I'd want near me is a cigarette! I'm still baffeled by the fact that a simple thought (I don't quit, I free myself from) changed my outlook so drasticly.

Hi Bree nice to meet you and welcome to the community. This is a great group and we are here for you. Can't add anything different as everyone said it all so read, educate and get the quit kit ready to use, bring your commitment and determination and you will be successful. Great decision you made to quit.

Hi Bree--- welcome! . Like you I smoked for nearly 4 decades. I'm now 109 days free of nicotine. This site was instrumental in my quit success. I know you can do it! Stay close, read as much as you can, educate yourself on the true dangers of nicotine, so important. First week-10 days will be the toughest but no doubt in my mind you can be successful! One day at a time. Everyone here is cheering for you and available for support. I check out conversations just about everyday although I don't personally converse everyday because of time constraints. The site is a huge support regardless your level of participation. Heck, I'm so proud of you already planning the commitment, after 4 decades, it can be scary and tough---- but I need to tell you, you won't regret your decision and my health has improved immensely since I quit plus my family is so proud of me. Within 10 days alone my blood pressure dropped from the 140s to the teens! I'm now walking 3-5 miles several times a week and riding my bike 5-8 miles. I still occasionally have serious cravings, not going to lie, but they don't last but a few minutes and I NEVER want cigarettes to control me again. Glad you've found the site, there's a lot of really wonderful, caring people here.

You need to take away the power you have given to the fear of quitting. I won't tell you it is easy but I will tell you that it is a LOT easier than pulling around an oxygen tank behind you. The discomfort you feel from withdrawal will go away, the damage you do to your body by smoking, is irreversible. No crave ever killed anyone...no one can say the same thing about smoking. Please read as many blogs as you can and see how others have dealt with their craves and how they have gotten past them. We WANT you to be successful, I haven't smoked now in over three years but I remember my failed quits and I remember my early days with this, my FOREVER, quit.

Quitting Smoking is definitely difficult to say the least but it's absolutely Doable and so worth it to be FREE, I smoked for 40 yrs also and am so thankful that I chose to quit smoking and you can too one precious smoke free day at a time. Bree19

Me or Marilyn? I'm absolutely fabulous. Day 17! Just heard my uncle passed away in Sacramento (80 and very ill the last year) so have been peaking to long lost cousins all over the place, crying a lot, laughing some too but ...Not one puff.

I was just wondering if the 3 of you and all my EX friends (the EXperienced ones), remember how uplifting it is to get messages like these. You've been quit so long, and talk back and forth so much and go away together that I decided to just remind you of the influence you have on us newbies....it's hard to explain what little messages like yours mean to us. My heart feels completely uplifted now and I even have butterflies (the good kind) only because you took the trouble to respond. What you guys do is priceless and you make it look effortless even though there MUST be days when you just want a break. Thank you!

I'm so sorry about your Uncle Bree19 my sincere condolence to you and your family but I'm so proud of you and your awesome 17 precious DOF and counting WTG my friend and fellow Exer, yay for you and your awesome ongoing beautiful, glorious, spectacular, splendiforous quit....

Bree, I am so sorry about your uncle. As I have read through these replies and your original message this morning, I am struck by just how far you have come, and I am (as always) awed by the love and support given by the people here. Congratulations on your hard won 17 days. Don't let anything take them from you - you have quite the quit going, girl! And, let me just say for someone who didn't know if she was posting correctly a month ago, you have a strong online presence here! I think that is key to a successful quit... it definitely is for me!

You've come a long way, congratulations! I am so sorry for your loss, but so proud of you for understanding that no challenge in life is being conquered easier with a cigarette! Good for you for not smoking, and I am amazed at your beautiful attitude through the recovery! It is going to make your quit go fast, and easy! Keep smiling, and telling yourself all the beautiful things you are now, it working for you!

I absolutely did it even though I had to move my quit date a couple of times. Smoke-free now since 27 Feb and on day 18 of my quit. SO glad week 1 has come and gone - that was unpleasant, to say the least - but now so worth it. You are on day 3 now, right? It passes, I promise. Keep busy and believe in yourself. Cheering for you!

Bree, I hope you bookmark this! It's a reminder of just how far you've come already! And it will get Better and Better! We have another saying N.E.F. Never Ever Forget and here's the story Why I Never Ever Forget. So yes although it's been 7 Years for me I remember every single Day crystal clear! On March 14 (Sunday) I was diagnosed with COPD. I immediately started looking up smoking cessation online and joined several sites for smoking cessation. On March 16 (my son's birthday) I joined here. A dear friend of mine guided me through the navigation process. I didn't even know what facebook was! Truth! I smoked 2 puffs at a time to addictively make my Sickerettes last longer! My Quit Date was the first Day of Spring - March 20 -

Hi Bree! I already love seeing your smiling face around our community. Glad you found us. I was anxious before I quit, too, and pretty sure deep down that I would never be able to do it. I am here as proof that you don't have to think you can, you just have to do it.

Once your quit day is here, put down the try. You will not be trying to quit. You will be quit. And I want to hear all about it. Your quit makes my quit stronger. Get it?